Potomac man at forefront of robotics revolution'

Robot being built for military use will fuel self by foraging for food

An artist's concept depicts how the Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot, or EATR, could look once it is developed. The robot, which is being developed by the Potomac-based Robotic Technology Inc., is geared for long-range military missions and is able to power itself by foraging for food.

Potomac resident Robert Finkelstein is the type of guy that "absolutely loves" using the cruise control on his car. So it might not be a surprise that when it comes to technology, he's not afraid to test the limits of what is capable without a human holding the reigns.

Finkelstein founded his company, Robotic Technology Inc., in 1985, following his belief that technology, when properly applied, could tackle certain tasks as well or better than a human could.

"My faith is that technology can be evolved and improved," Finkelstein said. "Things can always be made better."

Finkelstein has several projects under way that some say are part of a new wave of technology that could revolutionize the way humans interact with machines. One of his most high-profile endeavors is a robot that fuels itself by foraging for vegetation, intended to take on long-range, long endurance military missions without the need to be conventionally re-fueled by a human.

It's known as the Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot — or EATR.

Contrary to a few false news reports alleging it feasts on dead bodies for fuel, EATR is in fact a vegetarian — eating the likes of leaves and grass to provide fuel for its hybrid external combustion engine. A combination of sensors and radar, according to Finkelstein, will allow it to determine the best source of food. It will take the form of an unmanned vehicle and use a robotic arm to grasp and manipulate its dinner. The arm places the food in a shredder that ingests and processes the food into the combustion chamber, according to Robotic Technology, Inc.

Finkelstein is developing the robot at the University of Maryland, College Park and the project is funded by DARPA, the research and development organization for the U.S. Department of Defense. EATR will use a software architecture that has been under development by the National Institute of Standards and Technology since the 1980s that will allow it to sense its environment, act within its environment, and even make plans for the future.

Finkelstein describes the software as a "framework for achieving a mind in the machine."

EATR has been under development since 2008. Finkelstein hopes to have a model that will demonstrate what the robot can do by the spring of 2010.

Finkelstein has also worked on a car that can drive itself— with the potential to save lives on roads by taking human error out of the picture. Experts have estimated a driverless vehicle could be commercially available by the year 2019.

He admits that relying on a machine to do a traditionally human task may require a leap of faith. But that's a leap that most people take every day, Finkelstein said. "Once upon a time, elevators were operated by people," he said. "When the automated elevator was invented, there was a lot of concern and discomfort."

He believes that humans will be able to place that same trust in machines like EATR and the intelligent vehicle once they are properly tested.

"Whether we're talking about the machine gun, the airplane or the computer, it's often a lesson from history that it's not what the technology is capable of but it's people's acceptance of it and understanding of it," said P.W. Singer, a senior fellow at Brookings Institution who recently authored "Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century."

In the book, Singer profiles Finkelstein as a man who was at the forefront of military robotics before the technology was widely accepted or funded.

"Every so often a technology comes along that re-writes the rules of the game and forces you to ask questions not only about what is possible and what isn't possible, but what is proper," Singer said. "These are questions of right and wrong that you didn't have to think about before, and we're living through one of these right now with robotics."

Things can and do go wrong with automated technology, Finkelstein admits. However, he says, people also make mistakes.

"Technology can go wrong — it's a double edged sword," Finkelstein said. "The hammer can be used to bang a nail or to bang someone on the head. It depends on how you use it."